Burning Hearts

This is another part of the Crystal Kingdom Archives. It helps if you've
read Demon Hunter's Journal first (as it takes place immediately after Chapter 10 of the Journal), but (hopefully) it's not
necessary.

As if the lemon sign wasn't enough warning, this story contains
descriptions of sexual situations and activities. Now you have no excuse.

Rei sank into the tub with a groan of relief. Usagi had insisted on
dragging everyone to Ami and Bill's house after they had defeated the Gojiro
demon and restored Fluorite to himself, and the gathering had turned into a
full-blown party.

When Sarah and Setsuna had met, their response to each other had brought a
pang of longing to her heart. She'd had to retreat into her old routine
reactions to cope with the feelings. She didn't understand how, after all
this time, she could still feel attracted to Mamoru. Even more confusing were
the pangs she felt when spending so much time with Usagi. How could she feel
desire for such a complete flake? Maybe if she were more like Serenity - but
even that wouldn't explain her feelings. Yes, she loved her, but she loved
Ami, Makoto, and Minako, too. After all they'd been through together, it was
only natural.

Rei sank below the water and let the heat soak into her body. She hugged
herself, shaking with frustration as the water's heat did nothing to ease the
tension within her. She finally broke the surface, gasping for air - then
gasping again as her arching back brought her breasts out of the water, where
the shock of exposure to the cooler air sent currents of hungry fire through
her body.

Her hands pressed against her breasts, attempting to soothe the need with
her body's warmth - only to raise her tension another level as her nipples
felt the friction of her palms sliding over them. She whimpered and sank into
the water again, only her head above the surface as she felt a gnawing
emptiness growing in her belly. Why couldn't she just think of them as her
Prince and Princess? Why did she feel this pain whenever she was near
them?

"I'm sorry, Usagi," she whimpered, curling in a corner of the tub and
pressing her hands against her belly in a futile attempt to ease her need.
She knew her hands would soon be moving lower, no matter how hard she tried
to force her body to submit to her will. "I don't deserve..."

"That's a matter of opinion," Usagi's voice murmured gently, as her hands
cradled Rei's head and gently held her in place for a loving kiss. "And my
opinion is that you do deserve - both to love and to be loved."

"Princess!" Rei protested weakly as Usagi slipped into the water with her.
"Please..."

Usagi smiled and pressed a finger to Rei's lips, silencing her as she
looked at her with so much love it fanned the pain of her desire into a
raging inferno. Rei tried to back away, only to look around in rising panic
as she discovered the corner of the tub held her in place.

Usagi giggled and posed, arching her back like a swimsuit model. Rei's
gaze traveled down Usagi's body, her loving eyes, her gentle and inviting
smile, her figure which - while more shapely than Ami's - was sleeker than
her own, despite the incredible appetite she'd never lost. She blushed and
tried to look away, only to have Usagi gently catch her cheek and turn her
back to look into her eyes.

"Rei? Why are you afraid of what you feel?" Usagi's voice was gentle,
loving, so honestly open and inviting it broke Rei's heart to hear it. "We
know there's nothing wrong with it. If it's right for Michiru and Haruka,
Chibi-Usa and Hotaru, or Setsuna and Sarah, why isn't it right for you?"

"I'm...not Mamoru," Rei murmured softly, clenching her fists until she
could feel her nails cutting into her palms. "Haruka's right. You should be
with him, not me."

Usagi moved closer, sliding her arms around Rei and kneeling between her
legs. Rei glanced down, trying to escape her eyes, only to see her Princess'
breasts pressing against her own as she moved closer. With a frustrated
whimper, she looked up again, fighting to hold in her tears.

"I should be with him, not Haruka," Usagi murmured gently, stroking Rei's
hair in an attempt to sooth her. She kissed Rei's cheeks, eyelids, and lips,
lingering for a moment until she felt her resistance begin to weaken. "Mamoru
agrees that I should be here, with you, tonight."

"That's why," Usagi answered, smiling lovingly. "We both know how much you
love us. Not just as your Prince and Princess, but as a man and woman, too.
We've hoped for years that you'd find someone you could love the way we love
each other, but neither of us could stand to see you suffer any longer."

"Uh-uh," Usagi giggled. "If you want me to believe that, you're going to
have to try harder, Rei. Don't you know how much we love you? Mamoru won't do
what I'm doing, because he doesn't want to hurt you by taking advantage of
your longing. I wouldn't do it before, but I understand now that I can
without taking anything away from my love for him."

She cupped Rei's chin and looked into her eyes, with so much love it broke
her resolve. She reached for her Princess, sobbing in deep cleansing relief
as she collapsed into her arms.

"Shh...It's ok, Rei," Usagi whispered gently, cradling her to her breast
and stroking her hair. "I love you. I think that's why I get so upset when
you're mad at me. It hurts to know that I've made you angry. It hurts more to
know that I deserve it."

"I'm sorry," Rei whispered. She looked up, into Usagi's loving gaze. "You
don't deserve it as often as it happens. I know what my temper is like."

"That's just because you feel so strongly," Usagi murmured, bending down
to share a kiss. As their lips joined, she opened herself to her fiery
friend, inviting her to make the kiss as deep and passionate as she
desired.

Rei, caught by surprise, resisted for a moment, then clutched at Usagi
with a sob of need and pressed into her Princess' lips, probing and exploring
frantically. Her hands moved down Usagi's back, tracing the outline of her
ribs and spine, finally resting on her hips and cupping the tight curves of
her seat. When she pulled away for air, she looked hopefully into Usagi's
eyes.

"Princess? Are you...sure?"

"Only if you are, Rei," Usagi murmured gently, a smile twitching at the
corners of her lips. "Of course, if you don't really want me..."

"Kami-sama..." Rei whispered, her eyes closing as she rested her head on
Usagi's shoulder. "If only I could..."

"Why can't you?" Usagi asked, sliding a hand down Rei's side, leaving
goosebumps behind as she traced her curves, tickling her gently with the tips
of her fingernails as she traced back up to cup a breast and tweak a nipple.
"I'm here, I love you, and I want you to have what you've longed for all this
time."

Rei whimpered as Usagi tormented her, clenching her hands against Usagi's
hips and shuddering as she felt her body betraying her in her Princess'
hands. As she clenched her hands, she felt Usagi tease her nipple with one
hand, while her other hand moved to rub the base of her spine, slowly and
firmly pulling her closer as she delivered the soothing massage.

"That's right," Usagi agreed cheerfully, holding Rei back so she could
look into her eyes. "You're not. You're the woman who's loved me for six
years. You're the woman who's done everything in her power to deny her love,
because she was afraid it would change how I feel about you. Well, you were
right - and wrong."

"Right...and wrong?" Rei asked, biting her lip as she felt herself caught
by Usagi's gaze. "What do you mean?"

"You were right," Usagi laughed. "It did change how I feel about you. You
were wrong in thinking I'd be upset in any way, though. Or in thinking it
would upset Mamoru. We've been talking about this for nearly a month, and not
only is he not upset about it, he wants you and I to love each other in any
way that will make both of us happy."

"But...what do you want?"

"I want to learn how to love you so that you never feel unwanted again. I
want to learn what making love to you feels like. I want to make you my
heart's mate, the way Mamoru is my soul's mate." Usagi grinned and tapped the
tip of Rei's nose playfully. "Do you think we can manage all three of those
things?"

"I...you..." Rei stared at Usagi, the shock overcoming her confusion and
fear. When Usagi smiled and tugged her closer, Rei sobbed happily and
returned the embrace. "I love you, Usagi."

Usagi held Rei close, until her sobs had died. She stood, guiding Rei to
her feet and out of the tub. When she took a towel and began to dry her, Rei
grabbed her hands and looked searchingly into her eyes.

"Please, Rei, let me do this for you," Usagi said gently. "I want you to
feel all the tenderness that love can offer."

"Only if you let me do the same for you, Princess," Rei murmured,
blushing. "I...want to touch you, to feel you, to know every inch of you."

"I hope you're not planning to get any sleep tonight," Usagi answered,
grinning playfully and looping the towel around the back of Rei's neck to
pull her close. "If you want to know every inch of me,
you're going to be very, very busy."

Rei reached out hesitantly and touched Usagi's breast. When the Princess
smiled and pressed into her hand, she reached out with her other hand to cup
the back of Usagi's head and pull her in for a hungry kiss. Usagi returned
the kiss with equal hunger, reflecting Rei's passion with her own and
growling softly in her throat as she dropped the towel in favor of clutching
Rei's back. Their mutual hunger resonated between them, building with each
moment they held each other until they sank to their knees, unable to stand
in the face of its power.

"Don't you...think...we should...find your bed?" Usagi gasped when they
broke apart, panting for the air they'd forgotten to draw as they kissed.
"Don't want...anyone...to interrupt."

The look in Rei's eyes was enough answer for Usagi; she wrapped the towel
she'd dropped around the priestess, then giggled and raised her arms over her
head as Rei did the same for her. With a quick kiss, she stood and tugged her
friend to her feet.

Rei took Usagi's hands and led her to her bedroom, sending up a silent
prayer of thanks that both Grandfather and Yuuichiro were already sleeping.
With the door locked behind them, Rei turned to look hungrily at Usagi, who
smiled teasingly and stepped back, out of reach.

"Uh-uh," Usagi said, reaching up to release her hair from its bindings.
"Look, but don't touch. Not yet."

Rei swallowed and watched as Usagi shook her head, shaking out her odango
and ponytails, so her hair hung to the floor all around her. Beneath the
concealment of her flaxen tresses, she could see Usagi's hands moving about
her breasts. Suddenly, the towel flew toward her as Usagi spun, sending her
hair flying out to partially reveal her slender form.

Usagi smiled as she saw the way Rei's cheeks reddened when she tossed the
towel aside. She caught her hair in her hands and drew it aside, then tossed
it all back over her shoulders so Rei could see her without any concealment.
She moved across the room toward her raven-haired friend, the same way she
moved when she wanted to excite Mamoru without touching him. The way Rei
caught her breath as she approached confirmed that it worked just as well on
her.

From less than a meter away, Usagi reached out, tugged Rei's towel away,
and tossed it toward her own. With a satisfied purr, she let her gaze travel
over Rei's body, from head to foot; from her raven hair, to her blue eyes, to
her full figure, to the whiplike cords of her muscles, to the artistic
slenderness of her hands and feet. Every inch of her was beautiful; so
beautiful she had to catch her own breath as she contemplated her friend.

Rei reached out toward Usagi, sobbing happily as her Princess took her
hands and drew her close. She lost herself in Usagi's eyes and lips, her joy
filling her heart as she accepted that Usagi really did love her. When she
felt Usagi steering her across the room, she happily let her lead, until they
tumbled onto the bed in a happy jumble.

"I hope those are happy tears," Usagi teased. "I'd hate to think I make
you sad."

"They are!" Rei exclaimed, suddenly afraid she'd made Usagi unhappy. "It's
just...with all the times I've yelled at you for being a crybaby..."

"Well, I am!" Usagi laughed. "I'm clumsy, and a crybaby, and a real pig,
too."

"And almost as big a flake as Minako," Rei added, caught up in Usagi's
good humor.

"I hope I'm not that bad!" Usagi gasped. Seeing the
stricken look in Rei's eyes, she laughed and kissed her. "Silly Rei! If I
can't laugh at myself, how do you expect me to laugh with you?"

"I just...don't know what to feel," Rei murmured, blushing and looking
away. "I never thought this would happen. I never dared to hope..."

"Well, it is happening, so I hope you know better what to
do than I do." Usagi grinned and turned Rei's head so she could kiss the tip
of her nose. "I mean, I've never been with a woman before."

"I've...never been with anyone before," Rei whispered,
looking down as her cheeks grew hot.

"Nobody? Not even Yuuichiro?" Usagi asked, surprised. "Oh, Rei...I'm so
sorry. I never realized..."

She drew Rei close and hugged her, squeezing her tightly enough to feel
her spine popping with the pressure.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Rei? Did I hurt you?"

"No, Princess. It felt good. It felt like...like you released something
that's been knotted up for years." Rei smiled happily at Usagi, bringing a
hand up to stroke her cheek wonderingly.

"Oh, good." Usagi kissed Rei, then pulled away and laughed as she pushed
Rei onto her back. "I've got a great idea! I'm going to do the things to you
that I love for Mamoru to do to me!"

"But...I should be making you happy," Rei protested,
trying weakly to sit up as Usagi squirmed across her.

"Do you want me to make it a royal command, Rei?" Usagi growled lovingly.
"I want to do this. Please?"

Rei surrendered to her Princess' desires, reaching up to touch her cheeks
with her fingertips as she nodded, tears of joy flowing. When Usagi's lips
brushed her throat, Rei gasped, surprised by the pleasure such a simple touch
brought. When the gentle press of her teeth replaced the brushing of her
lips, her gasp turned into a sob of pleasure, her back and neck arching to
raise her toward her Princess' touch.

Usagi kissed and nibbled along Rei's throat, a hand sliding to the back of
her neck to support her as she worked her way up and down her lover's neck.
It was only when Rei's sobs of pleasure began to lessen that she began her
downward journey, kissing and nibbling her way across Rei's collar and down
her chest, smiling happily as she felt the quickening of her lover's heart
and breathing.

Remembering how deliciously frustrating it was to be on the receiving end,
she kissed and nibbled her way over and around Rei's breasts, touching every
part of them except her nipples before moving down. When Rei tried to bring
her hands up to ease her frustration, she raised her head just enough to
growl as she gripped Rei's wrists and held them down against the bed. The
sobs and squirming that came from her lover were like music to her ears and
eyes. She nibbled her way back up to Rei's lips and kissed her hungrily,
probing and tasting until the squirming faded.

Usagi retraced her path down Rei's body, once again tormenting her by
kissing and nibbling every inch of her breasts except the most sensitive
parts, then moving down to nibble her way toward Rei's navel. As she worked
her way down her lover's body, she squirmed between Rei's legs, forcing them
apart with her body and pressing against her mound as she slowly worked her
way down. She knew how maddeningly stimulating it was to have her mound
massaged that way, without any direct contact to bring her release. Rei's
squirms and sobs told her the effect was the same for her lover.

She paused in her downward journey, kissing Rei just above her mound and
raising her head to look up, over her lover's body, to see Rei raise her head
and look down at her pleadingly. She smiled and lowered her head to blow
gently on her lover's mound, stirring her fur and bringing forth a gasp of
surprised pleasure. With a happy growl, she worked her way down, around Rei's
sex and along her thighs without granting her the release she needed. As she
began moving further away, Rei whimpered, raising her hips in a desperate
plea.

Usagi inhaled, finally understanding the pleasure Mamoru claimed in the
aroma of her arousal. Rei's aroma was like perfume, inspiring a gnawing
hunger in her belly and a need to taste her lover, to learn if her flavor
matched her scent. She nibbled her way back up Rei's thighs, finally
releasing her lover's wrists so she could part her nether lips and take in
the beauty of her fleshy folds.

As Rei whimpered in frustrated need, Usagi blew gently across the exposed
flesh. The sudden rippling that coursed across Rei's abdomen, and the
accompanying sob, brought a smile to Usagi's lips. She moved in and pressed
her lips against Rei's inner folds. After a moment to take pleasure from the
aroma that rose around her, she tasted her lover. The flavor was more
enjoyable than she'd imagined; so much so that she found herself licking as
hungrily as if she were devouring ice cream.

Rei's hips bucked with Usagi's ministrations; her hands clutched at her
Princess' hair, and her eyes stared sightlessly up as her sobs melded into a
wordless whine. With each stroke of Usagi's tongue, Rei felt another spike of
indescribable pleasure. Nothing had prepared her for the sensations she was
experiencing. It was as if she were on fire, yet chilled to the core at the
same time. She felt as if lightning were coursing through her veins, and her
muscles were turning to water. Through all of it, the core of her being was
blazing with a white light that spread to fill her entire soul, sweeping all
before it as it consumed even her knowledge of herself.

Usagi closed her lips around Rei's clitoris, suckling gently the way she
herself preferred. Rei stiffened convulsively against her, the grip of her
hands tightening painfully - then suddenly going limp along with her entire
body.

Wow...she really HAS never been made love to before. Poor Rei...I
won't let you suffer like that ever again, sweetheart.

Usagi released her suckling grip and, after one last loving lick, slid up
to gather her raven-haired love in her arms as she shuddered through the
return to her body. Usagi gently caressed her, cradling her head against her
breast and crooning a gentle lullaby into her lover's hair. When Rei began to
stir, Usagi gently drew her up to look into her eyes and share a gentle,
loving kiss.

"So..." Rei whispered wonderingly, unable to find words to express what
she felt. She looked into Usagi's eyes, lost in the love she saw there. With
a sob, she stretched to reach her Princess' lips, wanting nothing more than
to surrender herself to her without reservation. Her whole body felt as
drained as if she'd been captured by a youma, yet her heart soared with joy
and pleasure. The taste of Usagi's lips was different...pleasant, yet musky.
She lost herself in the feel, the flavor, the warmth that was her
Princess.

Usagi held Rei close, feeling her heart swell with her love for the
priestess and understanding of what she must be feeling. She'd felt the same
the first time Mamoru had made love to her, and she knew that what Rei wanted
more than anything was to lose herself in the love they shared. She gently
caressed Rei's hair, feeling her eyes fill with joyful tears as Rei snuggled
closer to her heart.

Usagi sighed happily and caressed Rei gently as she fell into an
exhausted, contented, happy sleep. She kissed the top of her love's head and
whispered softly to her, before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to claim
her as well.

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Sailor Senshi, and all terms, names, etc.
associated with the series are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha. I
make no claim to them and this work of fanfiction should not be seen as
making a claim.